Interim Leadership Overview (Part One of Two)

Most people think interim CFO work is about stepping in fast and keeping the lights on. Stabilize cash. Close the books. Calm the board. That is what I assumed too, until I stepped into my first interim engagement and experienced firsthand how much impact a Professional Interim Leader can actually create.

What surprised me most was not the pace or the pressure. It was the structure underneath the work.

Professional interim leadership is not improvised. It is not a personality-driven rescue mission. It is a discipline. Done well, it follows a clear, flexible, repeatable process that protects stability, builds clarity, and prepares the organization for its next permanent leader. The results come not from heroic effort, but from methodical execution.

I recently completed the Interim Executives Academy, and the experience sharpened something I had instinctively been building in my own engagements. The Academy did not replace my approach. It refined it. It gave me language, structure, and validation for what I had seen work in the field.

Jeffrey Brown opened nearly every session with a simple but powerful reminder: interim leadership is a purposeful engagement using a methodical approach with profound processes to deliver transformational impact. Hearing those words a few months into my engagement felt like the clouds parting to let the sun shine on my face. I finally had a clean way to explain what I was experiencing and why this work delivers such outsized value when it is done properly.  And at the same time, it showed me why interim leadership fails when it is not given the proper attention and focus.

My own interim CFO process closely mirrors the Academy’s framework. It guides every engagement I take on. While the phases can overlap in practice, the order matters. Each phase builds capacity for the next. Skipping steps or rushing ahead creates fragility instead of progress.

There are six phases in total. This article covers the first three.

Phase One: Engagement – Setting the Conditions for Success

Phase one is Engagement.

This is where many organizations unintentionally set themselves up for disappointment. Engagement is not paperwork. It is not just agreeing on a start date and a rate. This phase defines the relationship, clarifies expectations, and aligns everyone on the purpose of the interim period.

During Engagement, I work closely with the CEO and key stakeholders to establish what success looks like, what authority the interim role carries, how decisions will be made, and how the finance function is expected to support the broader organization. This phase sets the tone for trust, transparency, and momentum. When engagement is done well, the interim leader is positioned as a true executive partner rather than a temporary fix.

Phase Two: Assessment – Establishing a Shared View of Reality

Phase two is Assessment.

This is not a witch hunt. It is not about assigning blame or cataloging failures. Assessment is about understanding the organization’s vital signs. People. Processes. Systems. Culture. Decision pathways. Capacity.

I spend time listening, observing, and synthesizing information across the organization. The goal is a shared, objective understanding of where the organization truly stands. Not where people hope it is. Not where reports suggest it should be. Reality matters here because planning built on assumptions rarely survives first contact with execution.

Assessment creates a common factual foundation. It allows leaders to move forward aligned, rather than operating from fragmented or outdated views of the organization.

Phase Three: Planning – Turning Insight into Sustainable Action

Phase three is Planning.

Planning is where insight turns into action. This phase translates what we have learned into a prioritized, realistic roadmap. The workplan reflects what the CEO needs most, what the organization can absorb without burnout, and what will create stability and continuity for the incoming permanent CFO.

Importantly, this is not about doing everything at once. It is about sequencing work in a way that strengthens the organization instead of overwhelming it. Planning balances urgency with sustainability. It ensures that progress made during the interim period does not unravel once the role transitions.

These first three phases create the foundation. Without them, even the most experienced interim leader will struggle to deliver lasting value. With them, the organization gains clarity, confidence, and momentum.

In Part Two, I will walk through the remaining three phases and explain how alignment, transformation, and transition turn short-term leadership into long-term strength.